European Journal of Remote Sensing

Advances in Nighttime Light Remote Sensing

Nighttime light remote sensing has emerged as a powerful Earth observation technique, which can precisely capture nocturnal low-light signals, effectively characterizing the spatial pattern and dynamic evolution of human activities. Following the 'Defense Meteorological Satellite Program' (DMSP), satellites such as Suomi-NPP, NOAA-20, NOAA-21, FY-3E, and numerous small satellites have become important data sources for nighttime remote sensing. Through the lens of these satellite sensors, we are able to gain a clearer understanding of the nighttime environments.

The growing wealth of satellite observation data has driven the rapid development of nighttime remote sensing, leading to breakthroughs in a wide range of fields, including meteorological monitoring, urban economic development, disaster and conflict assessment, and light pollution evaluation. However, numerous challenges remain in areas such as data quality, radiative transfer models, and algorithm applicability. In an era of rapid AI advancement, exploring how to effectively integrate AI technologies is also worthy of further research.

This Article Collection invites original research and review papers focusing on cutting-edge theories, advanced methodologies, and innovative applications of nighttime light remote sensing. Relevant topics include but are not limited to: nighttime light remote sensing data quality evaluation, radiative transfer models, and algorithm applicability analysis, as well as urban expansion monitoring, socioeconomic parameter estimation, ecological environmental assessment, and disaster emergency response, aiming to collect and disseminate the latest research progress in this field.

Article Collection Guest Advisors

Shensen Hu is Associate Professor at the National University of Defense Technology, China, where he received his PhD in atmospheric sciences in 2019. He undertook a post-doc at Nanjing University, China, between 2023 and 2025.His research focuses on satellite remote sensing, with a particular focus on low-light and nighttime sensing, as well as meteorological reversion applications.

Shi Qiu is Professor at The Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). She received her PhD in remote sensing at Université de Strasbourg, TRIO/ICUBE , Strasbourg, France, in 2013, and undertook a post-doc at University of Maryland, USA, between 2014 and 2016. Her research focuses on nighttime remote sensing, including calibration and validation, assessment, applications, and lunar models.

Further information

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisors for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 31 March 2027.

Please contact Alex Johnson at [email protected] if you would like further information about this Article Collection, or to request a discount code.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

The Guest Advisors for this Article Collection have declared no conflict of interests.